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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084815">Heavy is the Head</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVoiceNextdoor/pseuds/TheVoiceNextdoor'>TheVoiceNextdoor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hornblower (TV), Hornblower - C. S. Forester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Choking, Dirty Talk, Dom William Bush, Dom/sub, Fluff and Smut, Hotspur Husbands, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Restraint, Slash, Stress Relief, Sub Horatio Hornblower, Subspace, Voice Kink</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:29:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVoiceNextdoor/pseuds/TheVoiceNextdoor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Even a captain sometimes needs to cede control.  When he does, Lt. Bush is there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>William Bush/Horatio Hornblower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sometimes, after the guns had been stowed and the deck swept clean of blood, the captain disappeared.</p>
<p>Bush, always so attuned to Hornblower’s movements, usually saw him slip away -- noting the slight wobble in his step, the flex of his hand by his side, the awkward roll of his neck as if to loosen a tight muscle that wouldn’t quite release.  </p>
<p>And so, when the guns had been stowed and the deck swept clean of blood and the master given control of the helm, he would follow.</p>
<p>Hornblower didn’t respond to his knock, but Bush hadn’t really expected that he would.  He let himself in, barring the door behind him.  A good first officer anticipated; Bush was the best. </p>
<p>“Captain?”</p>
<p>Hornblower started.  He’d been standing by the window, one arm braced on the upper frame in a pose that would have been casual if his knuckles hadn’t been nearly white.  He turned with a slightly strained smile.  “Mr. Bush.  You have a report?”</p>
<p>“Nothing to report, sir.  I came to see if there was anything you needed.”</p>
<p>The captain’s jaw tensed as he swallowed.  “Ah.”</p>
<p>When nothing else seemed forthcoming, Bush moved closer.  “Is there, sir?” </p>
<p>Hornblower looked slightly dazed as Bush came to a stop directly in front of him.  “What,” he stammered.</p>
<p>“Is there anything you need?”  He was close enough to feel the heat emanating from the captain’s skin, see the slight dilation of his pupils as he absorbed the offer.</p>
<p>When Hornblower spoke, his voice was quiet.  “I need…”</p>
<p>Bush nodded encouragement.  He was a patient man.</p>
<p>“I need to be someone else for a while, Mr. Bush.  I need someone else to take control.”</p>
<p>“Ah.”  Bush took hold of the hand hanging at the captain’s side and pinned it forcefully to the wall above his head.  The captain let out a little hiss, the muscles in his arm straining against the sudden motion but making no move to break Bush’s grip.  Bush leaned close until his lips were ghosting against his captive’s ear.  “Any other requests, Mr. Hornblower?”</p>
<p>He could feel the shudder run down the other man’s spine.  “No, sir.”</p>
<p>“Good.”  Bush closed the distance between them, pressing the captain firmly against the wall as he bent his head and bit down on the skin just below the ear.  Hornblower writhed in his grip, and Bush could feel the other officer already growing hard against his stomach.  He slid a knee between the taller man’s legs and ground against him.  The sound that came out of Hornblower’s mouth was whining and primal.  “Desperate, are we?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”  His voice was breathy as he thrust back against the solid presence of Bush’s body.</p>
<p>“Yes, what?”  Bush moved away from the captain’s neck long enough to look him in the eye.  Hornblower’s pupils were blown, dark eyes wide.  Like a bloody doe, Bush thought.</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>“Good boy.”  Bush leaned back in to kiss him just as Hornblower moaned, thrusting hard against the thigh between his legs.  Bush had discovered very early on that the captain had a strong reaction to his voice; sometimes, as he bellowed orders across the deck, he’d steal a glance at the younger man and see him surreptitiously gripping the rail.  The first time he’d whispered in his ear like this, Hornblower had nearly come untouched.</p>
<p>Hornblower kissed like a drowning man, all desperate gasps and straining muscles.  He hadn’t moved his free hand, and Bush could feel it twitching at his side as we waited for permission to use it.  The wrist still in Bush’s grip was straining as if Hornblower hoped he’d be able to push it further into the wall behind him.  Bush slid his other hand up to the captain’s throat, allowing himself a little thrill as Hornblower keened in his grip, hips bucking against him with such abandon that the lieutenant had to brace himself more securely.</p>
<p>“Do you think you can come like this?” he murmured against Hornblower’s lips. “Fully clothed, grinding against me, my hand around your throat?”  The captain was nodding furiously, hips rolling against Bush’s thigh with increasing speed.  “Say it.”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir,” he bit out.  “Yes, oh God, please sir.”</p>
<p>“Come.”</p>
<p>Hornblower’s back arched as he came on command, his unrestrained hand thumping against the wall as he kept it obediently at his side.  Bush released Hornblower’s throat to cover his mouth, holding eye contact as the captain moaned into the palm of his hand.  “Good boy,” he whispered as the taller man shuddered in his grip. “Very good.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bush took a step back when Hornblower was steady on his feet again, but the younger man followed him, stepping into his space and kissing him fiercely.  Bush felt the buttons on his jacket give way, and then there was a hand tugging his shirt up and sliding coolly against his skin.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He broke the kiss.  “More?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More.”  Hornblower made quick work of Bush’s cravat as he lunged for his lips again.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush let himself be backed against the table before he slid a hand between them to grip Hornblower’s wrist.  The captain froze.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You first, I think,” Bush whispered against his lips before releasing his grip.  Hornblower’s hands trembled slightly as he began to unbutton his own coat.  Bush watched as the captain obediently removed layer after layer until he was standing naked in front of his first officer, pupils blown and chest heaving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beautiful,” Bush said.  Hornblower shuddered at the praise, closing his eyes.  The lieutenant waited for him to open them again, making sure he had Hornblower’s full attention before he reached down to undo the fall of his trousers.  “On your knees.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hornblower’s knees hit the ground before the words were fully out of Bush’s mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush allowed himself the rare pleasure of running his fingers through Hornblower’s tousled curls as the kneeling man took him in his mouth.  His grip tightened as the other man looked up at him, eyes big and brown and trusting.  Bush tugged his captain’s hair and Hornblower whined desperately around him, the sound shooting up Bush’s spine like gunfire.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lieutenant’s coat hit the ground beside Hornblower’s feet, his shirt following soon after.  Hornblower looked up at Bush appreciatively, sliding a hand up the other man’s torso to graze a nipple with tentative fingertips.  Bush took the opportunity to wrap his own hand around the captain’s wrist and haul him to his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want?” He asked, pulling the other man tightly against his bare chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You.”  Hornblower said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you want me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hard.” The captain paused, then almost whispered, “Sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush kissed him, biting down on Hornblower’s lower lip, then broke away and bent him down until his chest was flat against the surface of the table.  His breath left a fog on the polished wood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oil?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There,” Hornblower nodded vaguely in the direction of his bunk.  Bush found the bottle after a moment, turning back to see large brown eyes watching him from the table.  He hadn’t moved, his arms lying still at his sides.  As Bush watched, he shifted, spreading his legs slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush returned to him and ran a fingertip down Hornblower’s spine from skull to tailbone.  “Good boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man’s gasp turned into a moan as Bush slipped a well-oiled finger inside him.  It never ceased to amaze Bush how responsive Hornblower was to his touch, how the graze of his arm against his could send goosebumps across the younger man’s skin, how a finger curled just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> could make his spine bow upward into Bush’s hand.  Bush ran his nails down Hornblower’s inner thigh and the man practically yelped.  He was hard and thrusting helplessly against the underside of the table by the time Bush added a second finger.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was begging incoherently before Bush even considered adding a third.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Bush finally pushed into him, he gasped, reaching back to grab Bush’s hand like he was the only steady thing in the room.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush rode him hard, and Hornblower pressed back against him with every thrust.  He didn’t release Bush’s hand, even as he bit down on the skin of his free wrist to keep himself quiet.  Bush watched his fingers go white in the captain’s grip.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look how beautiful you look,” he whispered over the man’s whimpers.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Hornblower’s long lashes bat closed as he tightened his already impossibly tight grip on Bush’s hand.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look how good you are for me,” he continued, “how tight you are for me.  How hard you are for me.”  He reached under the table to take the captain in hand, and the sound that came out of Hornblower’s mouth was inhuman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So desperate for me, darling,” and the younger man shuddered around him at the word, “I know what you need.  I always know what you need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush was close, primed by Hornblower’s enthusiastic mouth and driven nearly out of his head by the writhing man beneath him.  He shoved the building pressure away and let his hand fly over Hornblower’s length, driving into him faster and faster as he watched the captain’s brow furrow, eyes still tightly closed and mouth moving soundlessly as if in prayer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then his eyes opened again, as if in shock, as his body convulsed under and around Bush’s, jumping in Bush’s hand as he spent against the underside of the table.  And Bush was looking into those dark eyes when he followed Hornblower over the edge.</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dressed themselves in silence, afterwards, each sifting through the pile of nearly identical clothes for his own items without a word.  Eventually, Bush heard the captain take a deep breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He cut him off.  “You don’t need to explain anything to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hornblower ignored him.  “It‘s too heavy a burden sometimes.  A hundred men can live or die at my word. Sometimes that’s too much to bear alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bush turned back to watch him shrug on his jacket, then try to adjust his cravat without the benefit of a mirror.  The lieutenant let him fiddle for a moment before stepping in to tie it for him.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are the best captain I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving under.  And you’re never alone.”  He leaned in to kiss Hornblower chastely on the lips.  And if the captain’s eyes were a bit misty, well — neither of them mentioned it.  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know that there’s a waistcoat under that double-breasted coat.  I have forgone accuracy for simplicity, because otherwise it was going to take like 300 words to get them naked, and it was a matter of great urgency.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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